At a heated meeting last night, councillors voted to approve plans for the plant, which will replace Wapping, subject to the publisher of The Sun and The Times ploughing more than 1m into local environmental improvements.

Under what is known as a Section 106 agreement, NI will have to spend 450,000 on schemes to improve roads and signage, 225,000 to upgrade the local railway station, 125,000 on road and community safety schemes and 59,000 on pedestrian and cycle routes.

NI will also have to invest 250,000 in local government employment and training schemes.

Peter Quaile, principal planning officer at Broxbourne Borough Council, said that building work could still not commence until the local and county councils, NI and others with interests in the site had reached an accord on the Section 106 agreement.

He described last night's meeting as "lively", and said that there could yet be a legal challenge to the project.

It has faced fierce opposition from local residents, who have raised a raft of objections over noise, light, traffic and employment issues, as well as fears that the development will devalue their homes.
Broxbourne Borough Council received 58 individual objections to the plans, and 604 pro forma letters.

A spokeswoman for NI said: "We are delighted with the decision and look forward to continuing to work with the council and local community to build a successful future in the Broxbourne area."

The plant, whose location was first revealed by PrintWeek (7 October 2004), will house 12 triple-width MAN Roland Colorman presses and is part of NI's massive 600m full-colour overhaul.

Planning permission for the site was first sought on 31 January this year, although NI bought the site for 21m on 9 August 2002 through a property investment vehicle called Northern Star Investments.

The plans include a 25,000m2 office building, a 5,000m2 hotel and restaurant, a 3,150m2 storage building and an 83,164m2 manufacturing plant.

Plans were amended on the main plant following protests from residents. After the modifications, the plant will be 228m long, 130m wide, and 31.75m high at its highest point.

Around 300 employees will move to the site from Wapping in central London, where around 1,000 are employed. This was a major sticking point for local residents, who complained that the plant would not provide any local jobs.

Story by Josh Brooks